Senate President Mitch Carmichael said it is simply “living within our means” and wonders why that’s considered news.

The answer, Mr. President, is that we expect leadership to….well…LEAD. To move us out and beyond the mess we are in.

Where is the vision in this proposal? How does it make WV and its citizens better off next year--or the next 5 years--than we are now?

“Balancing the budget” is just arithmetic. Cut enough and get to balance. But if it leaves WV in a worse position than we are now, it’s bad arithmetic.

Cuts are not accomplishments.

The goal should be not just to “balance the budget” but to grow the state. If we are ever going to be anywhere but last in every ranking, we need to have vision.

We need to take bold steps.

Governor Justice’s budget does that. Offers a plan to improve our roads that creates immediate jobs, that (literally) paves the way for increased business activity and tourism. That has a vision for a BETTER West Virginia. Not just the status quo.